Pull-up cleat

ABSTRACT

A pull-up cleat apparatus with a cleat member having downwardly extending posts telescopically received in tubular extensions of a cleat base permitting the cleat member limited movement between an extended and a retracted position and held in position by detent means. The tubular extensions of the cleat base have screw threads on the outside surfaces for threadably mounting clamping elements to secure the cleat base to a boat deck or the like. The cleat member has a cleat head with an arched center and the cleat base includes a flat surfaced depression for receiving the cleat head with side openings in the depression for water drainage around the cleat head in the retracted position. Water is allowed to drain downwardly through the tubular extensions and is channeled to a suitable bilge area.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to cleat structures and more particularly to pull-up cleats for installation on boat decks or other surfaces for attaching ropes or lines. The type of cleat under consideration is widely used in recreational boats for securing mooring lines and the like and will include a cleat member and a cleat base with the cleat member having vertical legs or posts which are telescopically received in suitable tubular members carried on the cleat base. The cleat member may be pulled up to a position for use and then retracted into the base for storage with the cleat and base being made as near to flush with the deck or other surface as possible to avoid obstructions.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Many prior art cleat designs have been proposed for either boat use or general utility wherein the cleat member includes depending legs or posts which are telescopically received by a cleat base. This structure permits the cleat member to be extended for use and retracted for storage, usually being held in the storage position seated on the base by some form of detent or the like. Cleats of this type require manual extension and retraction with the extended position being limited by suitable stop means. This type of design is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,983,820; 6,125,779; D458,891.

[0005] Another common form of cleat structure provides either a compression or tension spring to move the cleat member to either the extended position or the retracted position with some devices having means to reverse the spring action as desired. The following patents are illustrative of cleat structures of this type: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,354,445; 4,809,634 and 4,945,849.

[0006] A common problem with all cleat designs which are adapted to be mounted on either a boat deck or other surface such as truck beds and the like is the necessity of drilling multiple holes in the mounting surface and/or using a “hole” saw to form a large opening for the reception of the appendages of the cleat base. Needless to say, this type of material removal from a boat deck for instance is not desirable and may result in either leakage or weakening of particular structural areas. Mounting of the cleat shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,779 for instance requires the drilling of two large and two small closely grouped holes in the deck structure while mounting of cleats such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,820 and D458891 requires an extremely large opening to accommodate the channels 68 and depending tubes 22 as well as mounting screw holes top and bottom as illustrated in the drawings.

[0007] Another common drawback of prior art flush mounted cleat structures is the inadequate drainage provided for the escape of water and debris that collects around the cleat in the extended position. Patents such as Czipri U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,634 and the Kafka et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,445 are good examples of this shortcoming. Even those devices which do provide some drainage of the surface of the base do not provide a clear cross-base channel for the escape of water and debris.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0008] The cleat structure of the present invention comprises an extremely low profile oval shaped base with a flat-surfaced depression on the top side thereof for reception of an elongated cleat member shaped to conform to the contours of the depression in the cleat base. The cleat member is provided with downwardly depending legs or posts which are received by cylindrical tubes extending from the bottom side of the base. The depression in the top surface of the cleat base is provided with a clear cross-surface channel which allows for the free flow of any water or debris that collects while the cleat member is in the extended position. The cleat head is shaped to provide a clearance between its bottom face and the surface of the depression in the cleat base thereby allowing free flow of water. The legs of the cleat member are provided with ample clearance for reciprocation relative to the base tubular extensions and are held in either a pull-up extended position or a retracted or seated position on the base by means of spring pressed ball and d é tentes well known in the art. The movement of the cleat legs out of the base tubular extensions is limited by means of a stop on the bottom ends of the cleat legs and a suitable shoulder on the inner surface of the base extensions. The tubular extensions on the cleat base are provided with drainage tubes which drain off any moisture that escapes down along the cleat legs and the tubular extensions. This moisture is then conducted to a suitable bilge area.

[0009] The downwardly extending tubular extensions on the bottom of the cleat base are provided with external screw threads along the length thereof and a pressure plate is fitted over the two extending tubes and clamped against the bottom of the mounting wall such as a boat deck by means of clamping nuts or the like. The force of the pressure plate against the bottom side of the mounting wall is the only attachment means required for firmly mounting the cleat structure in position, thus avoiding the need for large cut-outs or a multiplicity of holes in the deck or mounting wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cleat member in the retracted or seated position;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cleat apparatus of the present invention with the cleat member in the extended or pulled-up position;

[0012]FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the cleat apparatus attached to a deck or wall with the cleat member in the retracted or seated position;

[0013]FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

[0014]FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Although the present embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to a cleat structure and its mounting on a boat deck, it will be understood that the cleat is not limited in its application and may be utilized in other environments such as trucks, RV's or any other environment where a pull-up cleat is required. Although the present embodiment is described as mounted on a generally horizontal surface, it is to be understood that the structure may be mounted on surfaces otherwise oriented, such as a wall or a railing. Referring to the drawings, the cleat structure is indicated generally at 10 and includes pull-up cleat member 11, a cleat base 12 and a clamping or pressure plate 13. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the cleat structure prior to mounting on a surface and FIGS. 3-5 illustrate the cleat apparatus mounted to a boat deck 14.

[0016] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be understood that the various components of the cleat apparatus such as the cleat member 11, the cleat base 12 and the pressure plate 13 may be made from any material and are commonly constructed from stainless steel castings or some other durable material of sufficient strength which is capable of resisting rust and corrosion. The cleat member 11 is an elongated bar with spaced legs or posts 16 and 17 extending at right angles from the bottom side. The posts 16 and 17 are mounted for reciprocal movement within the cylindrical tubular members 18 and 19 respectively. Thus the cleat member 11 may be moved between the retracted position shown in FIG. 1, seated on the top surface of the cleat base, and the raised or operative position shown in FIG. 2 raised above the cleat base 12. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the head portion 21 of the cleat is an elongated bar having an arched center section 22 with depressions 23 on each side for grasping the bar when in the retracted position. As shown most clearly in FIG. 3, the center arched section 22 is slightly raised above the surface of the cleat base when the cleat member is in the retracted or seated position.

[0017] The cleat base 12 includes the downwardly directed cylindrical tubes 18 and 19 for receiving the legs 16 and 17 respectively of the cleat member 11. The tubular members 18 and 19 may be formed as an integral casting with the base 12 or may be formed in any other suitable manner so as to be rigidly connected to the base 12. As shown in the drawings, the tubular members 18 and 19 include external screw threads 24 and 26 respectively for receiving the clamping nuts 27 and 28 respectively as shown in FIGS. 3-5. With the cleat plate 12 resting on the surface of the deck 14, the tubular members 18 and 19 extend through suitable bore holes 29 and 31 and through suitable holes the in clamping plate 13. The nuts 27 and 28 are then tightened against the plate 13 to clamp the cleat base securely to the deck wall 14. Although the plate 13 is shown as a single member in the embodiment illustrated, it will be apparent that individual washers could also be used to seat the clamp nuts 27 and 28 against the bottom of the deck 14.

[0018] Referring again to FIG. 1, the cleat base 12 may be a substantially flat member with a slightly rounded top surface provided with an elongated depression 32 with side walls conforming to the peripheral contours of the cleat head 21 and of a depth substantially equal to thickness of the cleat head. When in the retracted position, the top surface of the cleat head 21 creates a continuing surface matching the general contours of the upper curved surface of the cleat base 12. The depression 32 has a flat bottom surface for seating the cleat head 21 with the arched center portion 22 of the cleat head being spaced above the surface of the depression 32, as shown most clearly in FIG. 3. This structure allows for unobstructed cross drainage under the central area of the cleat head. The depression 32 is also provided with exit channels or openings 33 and 34 in its opposite side walls to insure free flow of water and debris from the cleat base. The bottom ends of the tubular members 18 and 19 are provided with internal screw threads, as illustrated in FIG. 5, for the reception of drainage nipples 37 and 38 for draining any moisture which may pass down along the posts 16 and 17, the nipples 37 and 38 being provided with conduits (not shown) for directing the water to any suitable bilge area.

[0019]FIG. 5 illustrates the mounting of the cleat member post 17 for reciprocation within the tubular extension 19. It will be understood that the structural relationship between the cleat post 16 and the tubular extension 18 is identical to that being described for the post member 17 in FIG. 5. The post members 16 and 17 may be solid rod structures having a stop plate or the like 37 which functions to engage a stop shoulder 38 of reduced diameter on the inner wall of the member 19. The engagement between the plate 37 and shoulder 38 limits the upward travel of the posts 16 and 17 in the pull-up or raised position as shown in FIG. 2. Each of the posts 16 and 17 will include a spring pressed ball 39 in the body thereof with the ball 39 engaging either the lower d é tente opening 41 when the cleat member is in the retracted position or the upper detent opening 42 when the cleat member is in the extended position as shown in FIG. 2.

[0020] Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein with certain specific modifications, it is to understood that the present disclosure is made by way of example and that various other embodiments and modifications are possible without departing from the inventive concept are included within the scope of the following claims, which claimed subject matter is regarded as the invention. The aim of the appended claims therefor is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A pull-up cleat apparatus comprising; a cleat member including a cleat head and at least one cleat post depending therefrom, a cleat base for mounting said cleat head and including at least one depending tubular extension adapted to telescopically receive said at least one cleat post for reciprocation therein between an extended position with said cleat member spaced from said base and a retracted position seated thereon, said at least one tubular extension including external screw threads along the length thereof, and a clamping element threadably mounted on said tubular extension, whereby said base may be clamped to the surface of a wall member with said tubular extension extending therethrough and held in place by said clamping element.
 2. The pull-up cleat apparatus of claim 1 including; a depression in the top surface of said cleat base for receiving said cleat head when in the retracted position, said depression having a bottom surface and side walls conforming generally to the peripheral contours of said cleat head and including openings in said side walls for draining water and debris from said depression.
 3. The pull-up cleat apparatus of claim 2 wherein said cleat head has a bottom surface for seating in said depression and an arched center portion in said bottom surface allowing water drainage across the bottom surface of said depression.
 4. The pull-up cleat apparatus of claim 3 wherein the openings in said side walls comprise first and second exit channels on opposite sides of said depression allowing free cross flow therebetween.
 5. The pull-up cleat apparatus of claim 1 wherein; said cleat member includes two cleat posts spaced along the length of said cleat head, said cleat base including two tubular extensions constructed and arranged to receive said cleat posts; and clamp plate means mounted on said tubular extensions and engaged with said clamp elements for contacting a wall member for applying pressure to clamp said cleat base thereagainst.
 6. The pull-up cleat apparatus of claim 5 wherein said clamp plate means comprises a single plate extending between said tubular extensions and engaging the clamping element on each tubular extension, said clamp plate comprising the sole clamping means for anchoring said cleat base.
 7. The pull-up cleat of claim 6 including; a drainage fitting connected to the bottom end of each said tubular extensions for channeling moisture collected therein to a bilge area. 